Jaggery

Jaggery, known in Nepal as “gur,” “chaku,” or “shakhar,” is a traditional, unrefined natural sweetener made from the concentrated sap of sugarcane. It holds significant cultural, culinary, and medicinal importance in Nepali households, where it is often preferred over refined white sugar for its distinct flavor and perceived health benefits.

Product Information

• Extraction: Sugarcane is crushed in large rollers to extract the raw juice.
• Clarification: The juice is collected in large, shallow pans and heated. Impurities that rise as froth are skimmed off, sometimes using natural vegetable-based clarifying agents.
• Concentration: The clarified juice is boiled for several hours until it thickens into a dense, dough-like syrup.
• Molding: The thick syrup is then poured into molds or flat pans to cool and solidify into blocks, cakes, or is scraped into a granular powder.
• The color of the jaggery, which can range from golden brown to dark brown, indicates its level of processing; darker jaggery is less refined and retains more natural nutrients.

• Health Aspects: Compared to refined sugar, jaggery is less processed and retains trace minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants like iron, magnesium, and potassium, which are typically lost during the refining of white sugar. However, it is still primarily sugar and a source of calories, so health experts recommend consuming it in moderation, especially for individuals with conditions like diabetes.
  Today, while the traditional block form of jaggery remains popular, value-added products like flavored jaggery powder are also becoming available in Nepali markets, reflecting a modern resurgence of interest in this ancient sweetener.
• Traditional Medicine: In traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, jaggery is considered a medicinal food. It is believed to help with digestion, act as a blood purifier, alleviate respiratory issues like coughs and colds, and provide sustained energy.
• Culinary Uses: It is used in both sweet and savory dishes, providing a rich, caramel-like sweetness with notes of molasses that balances flavors well. It is a key ingredient in traditional sweets like laddoos (sweet balls made with puffed rice or nuts), halwa, and Thekua (an Indo-Nepalese sweet snack popular during festivals). It can also be used to sweeten beverages like tea or to balance the spices in lentil dishes (daal) and curries.
• Festivals: Jaggery-based sweets are often exchanged during festivals like Makar Sankranti and Yomari Punhi, the latter a Newari festival celebrating the end of the rice harvest, where the sweet filling (chaku) is used in yomari dumplings.